author
St. George Jackson Mivart
1827–1900
A sharp-minded Victorian biologist and writer, he is best remembered for engaging both science and religion in the heated debates around evolution. His work helped make complex questions about natural history accessible to a wider public.
1 Audiobook
On the Genesis of Species
by St. George Jackson Mivart
About the author
Born in London on November 30, 1827, St. George Jackson Mivart was an English biologist known for comparative anatomy and for his high-profile criticism of Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. He studied at King’s College London and, after converting to Roman Catholicism, continued his education at St Mary’s, Oscott; he was later called to the bar before turning more fully toward science.
Mivart built a reputation through zoological research and teaching, especially in anatomy. He wrote widely for both specialist and general readers, and his best-known book, On the Genesis of Species (1871), argued that evolution could be accepted while questioning natural selection as its main driving force. That position made him an important and sometimes controversial voice in late 19th-century debates about evolution.
He died in London on April 1, 1900. Today he is remembered as a learned, independent-minded figure whose career sat at the crossroads of biology, philosophy, and religious thought.